Chronic inflammation is a variable and unpredictable complication of tissue injury or stress in humans. Chronic inflammation of the pancreas leads to irreversible destruction, known as chronic pancreatitis. Pancreatitis is a complex, progressively destructive inflammatory disorder. Inflammatory changes of the pancreas involving some or all of the following: fibrosis, calcification, pancreatic ductal inflammation, and pancreatic stone formation. Alcohol was long thought to be the primary causative agent, but genetic contributions have been of interest since the discovery that rare PRSS1, CFTR, and SPINK1 variants were associated with pancreatitis risk.